Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. P. GAINES' GAR COUPLING No. 270,412. Patented Jan. 9,1883.

JAMES P. GAINES, OF KUTTAVVA, KENTUCKY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.2'70,412, dated January9, 1883.

Application filed October 3, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES P. GAINES, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Kuttawa, in the county of Lyon and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOar-Oouplerstand I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters orfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in adevice for coupling and uncoupling cars; and it consists in the novelconstruction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, as willbe hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

"he object of my invention is to provide a means whereby the cars willcouple themselves automatically, also to provide a means by which thecars can be uncoupled either from the top or sides of the same, and bywhich the linkcan be held in a proper position for coupling either fromthe sides or the top of the car or from the adjoining car. 4

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention.tional view. Fig. 3 is a front view, showing the link-guide elevated;and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detailed views of the coupling-pin andlinkguide.

A represents the coupling-head,which is attached in the usual manner tothe draw-bar.

The upper part of this coupling-head is provided with an opening, a, andthe upper forward portion of'the same is provided with raised walls b b.WVithin these raised walls, so as to lie within the opening a, ispivoted the coupling-pin B, having a rearwardly-extending portion, whichis weighted and provided with an eye, 0. The construction of thiscouplingpin will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 4 of theaccompanying drawings.

Secured to the under portion of the couplinghead, at the rear of thesame, is a lug, d, to which the plate 0, for operating the linkguides,is attached by a pivot, e, which passes through the eyes 6 e and lug d.The plate 0 is provided atits forward end with an opening,

Fig. 2 is a secf, and between its ends the side arms,g r which are ofsuflicient length to extend beyond the sides of the coupling-head. Tothese arms are attached cords for operating the link-guide. Thelink-guide, as shown in Fig. 5, consists of an upwardly-projecting rod,L, the lower portion of which is provided with a shoulder,which rests onthe plate (J, adjacent to the openingf. The upper part of this rod isprovided with a cross-bar with indentations t t, upon which the linkrests. This cross-bar, when not in use, lies within a transverse recessin the lower forward part of the coupling-head, the end portion, 71, ofthe same passing through the opening in the coupling-head, whichopeningis located over the openingfof the plate 0.

The coupling-head A is made in two parts, which are suitably boltedtogether, the upper portion being cut away and recessed for thereception of a coupling-pin. The inner lower portion of thiscoupling-head is provided with a stop, against which the end of thecouplingpin abuts.

The means for uncoupling the cords and guidelink for the purpose ofcoupling consists of flexible connections, which are suitably guidedthrough eyes to the top and side of the car.

To the end of the coupling-pin B, on its weighted portion, and to theopening 0, are attached three flexible connecting mean s, cords orchains answering well. The curds l0 and I, which pass to the side of thecar, extent] upwardly and are guided through the eye it to the sides ofthe car, Where theyare secured by a suitable staple and ring. lhe cordmis employed to raise the link B from the top of the car. The cords atopare attached to the side arms of the plate 0, and are guided to the topand side of the car, as shown.

Attached to the front of the car, on one side of the coupling-head, soas to project beyond. the same, is a rod, 1%, so as to be within reachof a person when standing on the platform of the adjacent car when the'coupling-heads are together. This rod It is provided at its end with aneye, through which passes a cord, which is attached to the plate B. Bythis means the link can be guided when it is desirable to couple thecars when they are in motion. By means of the attachment hereinbeforedevice provided with a link-guide, the forwardlyextending rod R, withmeans for operating the link-guide, substantially as described andshown.

TheplateUflmvingsidearms,gg,andopeningf, in combination with alink-guide having" downwardly-projecting arms h, and crossbar, withlink-rests i 'i, arranged Within and attached to the car-coupler,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAM ES 1. GAINES.

\Vitnesses:

W. M. BO\VMAN, R. E. MARTIN.

